Thousands of protesters from across the UK marched through central London on Saturday, calling for “urgent political action” for nature. The march, called “Restore Nature Now”, saw the participation of around 350 charities, from protest organisations such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion to more mainstream organisations such as the National Trust and WWF.
One protester said people had come from “all over the UK” to demand things like “making polluters pay” and better support for farmers through an increase in the “climate smart farm budget”.
The march also called for the passage of an Environmental Rights Bill to establish a right to a healthy environment in the next Parliament after next month's general election. Demonstrators dressed in wildlife-themed costumes, wacky hats and masks, marched down one side of Hyde Park in the British capital, past Downing Street and on to Parliament Square.
Through songs, chants of “reclaim nature now” and repeated drum circles, the protesters called for climate change and nature to be made a priority in the election campaign and in the next administration.
British actress Emma Thompson led the march with a message to the government to “stop being so horribly irresponsible”, telling AFP at the march that she couldn't believe the “lack of engagement” from political parties in the ongoing election campaign.
“We are in the eye of the storm…Everyone cherishes the beauty of our islands, and we are losing it fast,” she added.
Also at the head of the procession was wildlife presenter and activist Chris Packham, who criticised politicians for “not taking the fast and widespread action that is needed”, adding that he was “not very impressed” with the parties' election manifestos.
“So we have to stand up and make sure they understand that we are going to hold them accountable,” he told AFP.
'not enough'
One protester wanted the next government to nationalize the water company. Francis Dismore of the River Restoration Group, holding a fish cutout, said: “All of the cardboard creatures we are carrying today are real creatures we have encountered in our river and we care very much about protecting them.”
Mr Dismore added that the River Lea, where he campaigns in north-east London and the east of England, is “affected by all the problems that affect every other river in England”.
River and water cleanliness has been a hot topic in this election, with several sewage spills in recent years angering environmentalists. During the election campaign, the leader of the tiny Liberal Democrat party fell off a paddleboard into a lake to demonstrate the severity of England's sewage crisis.
The opposition Labour Party, which is expected to take power in the election, has promised to halt new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea and create a publicly owned clean energy company called Great British Energy.
But Labour leader Keir Starmer has previously been criticised for abandoning a pledge to spend £28bn a year on green infrastructure.
The Conservatives have weakened their commitment to meeting the UK's net zero target by 2050 by extending the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030 to 2050.
For Jane Price, Extinction Rebellion campaigner from Stratford-upon-Avon, the timing of the protest was a way of saying to political parties: “If climate and ecology is your issue, we're voting for you”.
“Everywhere you look, not enough is being done,” she added.
